Norman Kingsley Mailer, an American literary icon, was born on January 31, 1923, and passed away on November 10, 2007. Throughout his illustrious career spanning over six decades, Mailer established himself as a prolific and versatile writer, publishing 11 best-selling books across multiple genres, including novels, nonfiction novels, plays, and essays.
Mailer's debut novel, The Naked and the Dead, published in 1948, garnered early recognition and acclaim. However, it was his 1968 nonfiction novel Armies of the Night that truly cemented his reputation, winning both the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction and the National Book Award.
His most famous work, The Executioner's Song, published in 1979, is widely regarded as a masterpiece and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Mailer is also credited with pioneering the genre of "creative nonfiction" or "New Journalism," a style that combines the literary flair of fiction with the factual accuracy of journalism.
As a cultural commentator and critic, Mailer was known for expressing his opinions through his writing, journalism, and public appearances. His influential essay, "The White Negro," remains one of his most reprinted and famous works.
In addition to his literary achievements, Mailer was also a co-founder of The Village Voice, a weekly arts and politics-oriented newspaper that was distributed in Greenwich Village. His personal life was marked by controversy, including a 1960 conviction for assault after stabbing his wife, Adele Morales, and a failed 1969 mayoral campaign in New York.
Mailer was married six times and had nine children. Despite his tumultuous personal life, he remained a prominent figure in American literature and culture until his passing on November 10, 2007.
